His red hair and hot temper evidently had their uses.
[Sidenote: Calvin, 1509-64] _The_ Reformer of French Switzerland was not destined to be Farel, however, but John Calvin.

Born at Noyon, Picardy, his mother died early and his father, who did not care for children, sent him to the house of an aristocratic friend to be reared.

In this environment he acquired the distinguished manners and the hauteur for which he was noted.

When John was six years old his father, Gerard, had him appointed to a benefice just as nowadays he might have got him a scholarship.

At the age of twelve Gerard's influence procured for his son another of these ecclesiastical livings and two years later this was exchanged for a more lucrative one to enable the boy to go to Paris.